Thoughts and suggestions from a beginner (Full Version)

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Splatsch -> Thoughts and suggestions from a beginner (6/6/2020 8:36:06 PM)

Hello there !
So, I'm discovering the game, & I really love it, as much as I expected. And it's a lot ! :)

I tried to write the points where I was a bit lost/had suggestions, to tell Vic where a beginner like me may have some issues, or what "things" could be handy to add/modify. Of course, if there's need to clarify, feel free to ask :) And of course, all of this are only suggestions/thoughts !

I watched a bit TortugaPower's serie while waiting release, and read the beginning of the manual. After that I launched the game and I'm trying to find in the manual things I don't get while playing.
And sorry if some things may have been said elsewhere !


1. When generating planet, some shadowy points for a beginner :
1.1 - City state start ?
1.2 - Number of "councils" ?
1.3 - What are "epochs" ?


2. In game interrogations/hard at beginning :
2.1 - "LIS points" is a an obscure acronym for beginner, and haven't found it on manual.
2.2 - How to reinforce independant units ?
2.3 - Is there a way to check if a specific "bonus" hexe/asset actually gives the bonus ? (for example "Wagner legion" who gives 300 recruits).
2.4 - I'm having difficulties to take the decisions of repartitions of council task priorities, because for now I don't always remember well which "priority" (& council) is doing what exactly. A tooltip would help.
2.5 - When a unit has lost integrity (= took casualties), how to know what it's lacking ?
2.6 - Replacement of units was a bit obscure at first.
2.7 - Can you "regroup"/fusion two units ?
2.8 - "Advanced" logistics isn't easy to fully grasp, but reading carefully the manual part about it will certainly help.


3. Suggestions/"issues"
3.1 - I don't see well when there is a stack of units on the map when they are only 2 on a hex : a stack of 2 units and a one single unit are graphically too similar with big counters.
3.2 - When a "mission/demand" tells you to protect hex (XX,YY), it would be nice to have a button to press to directly go to it (and eventually to highlight all the target hex ?).
3.3 - When a "mission/demand" asks you to reach amount X of value (like PP), it would be nice to see aside at which value you currently are, even in the REP menu.
3.4 - A pop-up asking to confirm end of turn if there are still decision(s) to take would be welcome :)
3.5 - Add possibility to speed up battles in "battle screen" (same speed as in advanced tactics ?).
3.6 - Add possibility to manually change color of HQ (like in advanced tactics).
3.7 - In MNG screen, a shortcut to upgrade the selected asset would be very handy. And another shortcut to show/go where the asset is on the map.
3.8 - A visual indication/word indicating if the asset has been set to mothball (or see the %age of production) would be nice (in a comparable way of the number of turn remaining before the end of construction of an asset : you don't have to click on it to have the info, so it would be easier to manage in a glimpse). [I noticed after that on top right of the asset, there is a little colored indicator which shows if the asset is functionning, mothball... but I find it not enough difference of colors between normal/mothball. And it would be nice to be able to filter assets to see only ones in mothball/etc.).
3.9 - More generally, why not permitting to upgrade an asset when you double click on it ? (in the popup of detailed information of this type of asset)
3.10 - On a hex, greyed values who shows an attack already occured, or additional movement costs, should be put over the counters, not under them (currently you have to hide the counters to see the values.. or even if there are some).
3.11 - On STRAT. window, it would be nice to clearly see when there are more than 4 cards (maybe show a glimpse of the next card at right of the 4th ?)
3.12 - On STRAT. window, it would be nice to see two raws of 4 cards instead of only one raw.
3.13 - It is often painful to attach priests etc. to a unit through the stratagem panel. Especially when you have several to attach. Could be nice that when the stratagem card is activated, stratagem window would reduce so that we could see the map to choose the unit.
[I finally found that you can apply a stratagem card to a unit easily !
Simply click on a unit of your choice on the map. On the area where you see its commander and his portray, click on "Strat" : this will enable to apply a Units stratagem card to the unit. Apply the stratagem, and you can immediately click again on the button "Strat" of the unit to choose & apply immediately another stratagem to the same unit ! http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/fb.asp?m=4827839 ]
3.14 - Sometimes workers are leaving, but I don't know why. Afterwards I noticed for workers that it was simply because I haven't enough money to pay them... but it's not said in the tooltip explaining why they are leaving ! (on the map screen)
And for population hapiness (or population leaving), it's same, I still haven't understood why it's dropping so much sometimes !
3.15 - The budget overview is a bit hard to read, it would maybe need some bold text (for the totals ?)/red things (for costs?). And/or a summary table ? With only the total of each "part" ("Sales and income tax", "Public investment", etc... And the whole total of expenses, and revenues, and the net difference) to see everything in a glimpse. It could be nice too to see this summary table when putting mouse over the credits you have in the map screen (and/or that clicking on your amount of credits would lead to the budget overview).
3.16 - I often find hard to distinguish the HQ color on the counters, and to clearly see all the units who belongs to the same HQ when I click on a HQ/unit.
3.17 - I have some "difficulties" when designing models. An indication to show for which kind of unit a new innovation has been researched/is now available (or simply where there is a better tech, still not used in a model) would be helpful.
And when you choose one unit type to make a design, a little reminder of what weapon/armor/engine is used for each of your listed existing models of this type. That would be REALLY helpful. And this reminder of existing models (and "composition") for this unit type (like in the REP->Models Overview) should be accessible anytime while designing the new model. To help compare in a glance, and decide which techs to use.


4. Bugs ?
4.1 - When a unit is selected, if I click on the button "To HQ" to go to the associated HQ of a unit, if I'm at max zoom in level (close to map), it doesn't center well the map on the HQ : this works only at intermediate zoom level
4.2 - When clicking on "save" to save the game, the time it's saving (when I see the windows "loading" cursor), I hear briefly the main sreen music.
4.3 - If I select the unit I would like to target before going in the STRAT menu, it seems I can't execute the cards like "add priest". But if I first go in the STRAT menu and execute one of these cards (= add 1 priest), then I can select the unit and apply effect of the card on it.
4.4 - Sometimes when AI is playing we see briefly its road network while we shouldn't.



[Edit : numerated each point for easier reference, and added several points]



Jdane -> RE: Thoughts and suggestions from a beginner (6/6/2020 10:31:48 PM)

Quite the tall order, but you are very much making sense.

1. Those new game parameters are indeed not described in the manual although others are. I'm too lazy right know to check if there are informative tool-tips in the relevant screen or not.

2. LIS confuses people all around the board. Somebody proposed Logistics Infra Structure, and it makes sense. Maybe it is a remnant from a previous state of the game before the exact name of things was determined? Basically it's logistics points.
- Do you really mean independent or militia? Independent formations are reinforced by the SHQ they are subordinate to, militia should be reinforced by the zone militia abstraction by I've never seen it happen in game yet.
- I believe you could check the Items tab of the zone and look at the tool-tip when you mouse over the production number, or in the Assets screen under the Management tab. Those tool-tips should tell where the recruits, to keep your example, are coming from. Basically if the hex that has a Hex Perk is within the borders of the zone, the zone gets its benefits, you don't need to build a road leading there.
- Sure. For the time being, when I forget, I check in the manual where it's very well detailed.
- I don't get where this « full health » is coming from.
- One of the quirks of the game, I can understand.
- It depends. A unit has to obey its TOE (its planned composition) as shown in the Unit Admin panel. I've not tried yet to transfer troops from one depleted unit to another in order to try and get a full strength one though, so I lack experience to answer definitively. Alternatively you can create Battle Groups which are ad hoc formations you can set up however you want, but they have some limitations: their attack potential is reduced and it gets even worse if there are three or less elements in it (if I understood correctly).

3. I can't argue with most of those quality of life improvement suggestions of yours.
I will only point out that for some of these there are workarounds using the existing interface. For instance, there is an option to display smaller units when there are several in an hex. And in other cases, you can just put off your decision and get the information you need where it is before committing to an answer. When I have to assign several priests to units I switch between the OOB screen which allows me to quickly select a unit and the Stratagems one. But I admit those improvements would be nice.

4. Maybe the music thing is a feature? Then again, maybe not. [:D]

At any rate, cheers.



Splatsch -> RE: Thoughts and suggestions from a beginner (6/7/2020 2:27:58 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane

Quite the tall order, but you are very much making sense.

Thanks ! :) I'll try to be short in my answer to avoid huge wall of texte, please don't mind phrasing !

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
1. Those new game parameters are indeed not described in the manual although others are. I'm too lazy right know to check if there are informative tool-tips in the relevant screen or not.

Nope ! Indeed, not in manual, and no "informative" tooltip ( = only "click to flag"), hence my note !

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
2.1 - LIS confuses people all around the board. Somebody proposed Logistics Infra Structure, and it makes sense. Maybe it is a remnant from a previous state of the game before the exact name of things was determined? Basically it's logistics points.

Yup ! But it needs a note in manual and/or tooltip at least :P

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
2.2 - Do you really mean independent or militia? Independent formations are reinforced by the SHQ they are subordinate to, militia should be reinforced by the zone militia abstraction by I've never seen it happen in game yet.

Independent ! But that answers for both thanks ! (I have yet to read about militia reinforcement in manual.) In fact I did "reinforced" units in my SHQ, but I was having impression they weren't automatically "redistributed" to my independant units. But it was maybe only newbie not seeing !

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
2.3 - I believe you could check the Items tab of the zone and look at the tool-tip when you mouse over the production number, or in the Assets screen under the Management tab. Those tool-tips should tell where the recruits, to keep your example, are coming from. Basically if the hex that has a Hex Perk is within the borders of the zone, the zone gets its benefits, you don't need to build a road leading there.

Okay ! But my idea was to see directly in the Hex Perk/asset (like for usual assets).
Oh, I didn't knew you don't needed to build roads for Hex Perks. So even for my exemple of recruits, it doesn't need Logistic points ?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
2.4 - Sure. For the time being, when I forget, I check in the manual where it's very well detailed.

Of course, but my idea is while ingame, a little tooltip (reminder) would be really helpful to avoid having to alt-tab, look for the good section in manual etc... and it would help a lot beginners (I think).

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
2.5 - I don't get where this « full health » is coming from.

Oh sorry, bad formulation (I'll reformulate my OP), I mean integrity of unit : when it loose integrity/takes casualties, how do you know what's missing in this particular unit ?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
2.6 - One of the quirks of the game, I can understand.

I think it only needs a particular "help topics" in game (in REP menu), like the others for constructing deposit, finding resource asset, ensure supply to units etc... (which are well done)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
2.7 - It depends. A unit has to obey its TOE (its planned composition) as shown in the Unit Admin panel. I've not tried yet to transfer troops from one depleted unit to another in order to try and get a full strength one though, so I lack experience to answer definitively. Alternatively you can create Battle Groups which are ad hoc formations you can set up however you want, but they have some limitations: their attack potential is reduced and it gets even worse if there are three or less elements in it (if I understood correctly).

Thanks for trying to answer though, and for the infos :)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
3. I can't argue with most of those quality of life improvement suggestions of yours.
I will only point out that for some of these there are workarounds using the existing interface.

Of course, absolutely ! A lot of this are mostly "quality of life" suggestions, to help ease the gameplay flow/enjoyability.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
For instance, there is an option to display smaller units when there are several in an hex.

It's a solution of course, but this means big counters aren't the best to use.. and it's the shame because they're pretty nice.
And for my point 3.10, even with small counters, values are under them, and so when there are 4 counters in a hex, you don't see them :/

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
And in other cases, you can just put off your decision and get the information you need where it is before committing to an answer.

That's what I'm often doing, thankfully the game permits to naviguate/do things before taking decision(s) ! But still sometimes, before taking a decision or when I go see in my "REP->Demand overview" what are current demands (for example), having quick link to target hex, for example, would be handy :)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
When I have to assign several priests to units I switch between the OOB screen which allows me to quickly select a unit and the Stratagems one.

Oh, that's an idea !
By the way, I noticed that if I select the unit I would like to target BEFORE going in the STRAT menu, it seems I can't execute these cards. But if I first go in STRAT menu and execute one of these cards (= add 1 priest), then I can select the unit and apply effect of the card on it. (I'll put it on my list of potential bugs).

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
But I admit those improvements would be nice.

Ahah, thanks :)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
4. Maybe the music thing is a feature? Then again, maybe not. [:D]

Maybe it's for having a little break from your empire ;)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
At any rate, cheers.

Cheers ! Thank you very much for taking the time to answer, and your help !

(oh my, sorry for huge message XD)



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